What does everyone else do for "inspiration?" Yes, I realize that's the cheesiest word ever :P

I just thought I'd post a thread about this since I am personally getting a little stuck on my novel and I thought it'd be nice to have a place with ideas for what to do when you get writer's block! Always a useful topic, in my opinion :)

Yeah, I'm kind of in the same boat. Kind of. I'm working on a poem, but I have no idea where to go next.

Personally, I have a very laid back approach to...well, everything. I'm not in any rush to finish the poem, so I'll just puzzle over it until something comes to me. Maybe I'll work on something else. I realize that this does not help you any. Sorry. :(

A lot of the time, I find it helpful to write out my conundrum. I'll explain the situation, how I'm stuck, and go over a couple solutions. I write everything down that comes to mind. I've given myself pretty good ideas by putting it into words.

To get inspiration, it usually depends on the story since mine are so different stylistically. Starling usually comes from reading (since the majorority of my book collection is Victorian) or watching period movies while Harlow usually comes from listening to music or the I Love The 70's shows on VH1.

I've never actually found a good way to find inspiration, to fight off writer's block, so when I get stuck I generally stay stuck for a while.

However, I do find that a lot of ideas come to me when I'm really doing things. I'll see an old woman sitting by herself on a train and I'll start imagining her thoughts and what her life was like to lead to her right now and something will come from that... orrrr I'll be out in a forest and I'll think, "Whoa, wouldn't the story of a handicapped kitten learning how to eat flies make a GREAT story idea?"

Of course it wouldn't, but I think you see what I mean.

I just need to get out and about for inspiration =/ Or surf, or read... just doing something gets the brain cogs whirring.

Surfing the water can give you great inspiration. Of course, it might also result in great injury to one's personal being, but hey, I'd be willing to make a little sacrifice for the sake of art.

For me, the best thing to do when you have writer's block is to continue work on at least something. Always be writing, even if you're coming up with complete and utter bilge that you know you will never let see the light of day. You have to keep practicing at something to get better at it. Even if it's just the stream of consciousness journal entry or a drabble.

Sometimes the story piece needs time to percolate once you've written a good bit, and you need to be able to see all corners and perspectives and that'll inspire you to continue. Also, it's very helpful to just drop it for a few weeks, concentrate on writing something else, and then go back to it, and reread it. Sometimes you'll see the good in it, or if you're anything like me, and did a three AM hack job, you will be utterly horrified. And you'll be able to look at it with new eyes.

I get inspired by real life, other things I read, stuff at school, music, art, when I draw, pretty much anything. One story I had was inspired by music, another by a friendship. There was also one based on a dream I had, but you have to be careful with those, because a lot of them have poor logic.

I guess this is sort of an inspiration post, but I want to branch off a little, because I'm getting contemplative.

Be afraid. Be very, very afraid.

Ever wonder what would happen to your writing in the future? I mean, I don't know about you, but I pour a lot of time in my writing, trying to make it better, editing, rewriting, moving scenes around, the whole nine yards. And while I very much appreciate the feedback I get here, I don't know what to do in the future with my writing.

I guess I'm having a slight crisis of direction right now. Somebody recently asked me, "Why are you even bothering to get a college diploma? What are you even going to do with an English degree?" But I do know what I want to do with myself--I would like to write fiction for a living, and despite what I've posted before about my writing just being a hobby, it's increasingly not the case. I'm impassioned about this, and I would like to do things with my writing.

The whole fame and fortune thing I find very disagreeable. I do not want my real name on anything I publish. I even discussed with my brother putting his name on my stuff, or coming up with a pseudonym. (Long, complicated story.) The whole idea of having my life under scrutiny is extremely ghastly to me, and I'm wondering why so many people out there want to be famous. It's just...ugh.

But my first goal is to create beautiful writing. I'm not sure. I was just looking my stuff over in despair. It doesn't feel like I'm getting anywhere. I wanted to go to graduate school, to receive further assistance, but...I just want to be able to write well. Not sure where to begin. My prose was extremely purple in the beginning, florid to the point of toxic. Eh. I'm derailing, so I'll stop here.

Recently, in my English class, we're reading a book by a friend of my teacher's. I went and looked her up and read this little blurb where she talks about why she's a writer and how ideas come to her and what she tries to get across in her books. I really identified with the way she thinks of things all at once and how she'll make a playlist and listen to it constantly to just get an idea of the feel of her idea. That was really inspiring.